This game has always been a game between two warring factions. This manifests itself in different ways throughout the course of eHistory. It was evident in the past with the wars between Atlantis and Peace GC. Yet, It still rings true today for the war between EDEN and CoTWO. Even still, there are those in America who believe that this can change. They wish to have three separate factions, resulting in a "tri-polar" world, so to speak. However, such thoughts and beliefs are fallacious and misguided. Just as it has always been, the world of eRepublik will remain bi-polar.

For the most of my eLife, I sat back as a two-clicker. In fact, I barely clicked. I was more interested in the media and world affairs, so I made sure to keep up with that. However, I never had the time to devote to this game. Instead, I was a devoted player of Cybernations from about 2007 to late 2011-early 2012. In that game, every player creates a nation which then joins one of about a hundred player-created alliances. When compared to eRepublik, a nation acts like a citizen and alliances act more like countries would in erepublik. Hence, you had about a hundred different “countries.” Since there was very little in the realm of game-mechanics, everything related to foreign affairs was done in a roleplay format.

Through this roleplay, an intricate world was created. Every alliance had treaties (MPP's) with other alliances that bound them in friendship. Over time, these treaties became very intertwined. It was quite hard to figure out how a war would play out. When conflict arose, you had to trace back all kinds of treaties and connect a bunch of dots to figure out what side your alliance (country) was on, if drawn into the conflict. (This is how the “treaty web” looks when condensed) There were no specific monolithic blocs like EDEN or TWO to make this obvious, but there were obviously larger blocs that held more power than others.

With all of these ties, treaties, and smaller friendships, one may think that this world was the furthest thing from bi-polar. They may think that there were multiple factions fighting each other in various fronts of sorts. However, this was NOT the case. Even though the whole world was fighting, they always broke down into two different coalitions based on mutual friends and enemies.

This translates almost perfectly to the realm of eRepublik. When EDEN dies, it is only an eventuality that nations will split up and move on. Some, despite prior feelings, will move to TWO. Some will join up with former allies in CoT, while others will likely create a new alliance. With the move of most nations to TWO and CoT, it will likely result in a state of affairs in which two alliances will completely dominate, like the era of Atlantis and PEACE GC. We could also see a world like we do today: Three alliances which will eventually devolve into a 2v1 conflict like we are in now. The other foreseeable option is an unlikely world of TWO, CoT and a hodgepodge of small regional alliances like Asgard which will eventually pick a side or fight amongst themselves. In ANY case, the world will always always be bi-polar, much like I described with Cybernations.

There will never be anything that resembles a “tri-polar” power structure. Two of the three assumed power blocs would come together to fight the one that they view as a mutual enemy. This is what we are seeing now. We have three major alliances, EDEN, TWO, and CoT. With the inclusion of the USA, CoT's power is now such that they could compete with the likes of TWO and EDEN. Yet, they will side with TWO in all battles because they hold a mutual enemy in EDEN. No matter how many alliances or factions are created, two sides will always develop. Even when EDEN dies, this will still be the truth.

You may have three alliances, but the world will STILL be bi-polar. Two sides will always develop in any war. For example, imagine TWO and CoT eventually go to war. The third alliance will eventually have to pick a side. They can’t fight against both sides. If it tried to fight both alliances, it would likely draw the ire of both the other alliances, causing the others to band together and destroy the third alliance. The nations of the third alliance will eventually sympathize with one faction and seek to assist it. Therefore, the third alliance will have to pick a side, causing a bi-polar world in which one side would dominate the other. A "third way" is simply impossible.

So please, recant from the fallacies of your thoughts, desires and intrigue. It is simply not going to happen. Holding onto hope and trying to tell America that it is possible is misleading. I have played two games for the past 6 years and nothing resembling a tri-polar world has ever developed. It doesn't even happen in real life. Yet, people want to present this as a way to break the perceived stale nature of this game. We were even presented with CTRL as a solution to this problem only to see it fail.

Good article EPD. Just the nature of the beast. I suppose the CoT division with TWO just makes alliance members a little bit more manageable though. Comparative to a huge Alliance central command like EDEN.

If EDEN can stremeline and Asgard or another pro-EDEN nation is able to rise up then despite a bi-polar world the dynamics could be a bit more engaging for players. I did say a bit.

@ED and Tim_Holtz: I'd say both of your comments are essentially intertwined. CTRL was the true gov't effort to create a third-party, independent, non-balkan alliance in order to change how the game was played. Ever since its failure, they have been more interested in a changes of sides in the bi-polar world.

This is what the past few months have been about. When EDEN dies (sped up by the USA turning against them), CoT and TWO could possibly be the only two major factions factions left standing. Then allegiances between all countries will realign, causing CoT and TWO to gradually move away from each other as they add more nations. In this world of constant conflict, those two remaining forces would eventually collide on the field of battle.

However, by this time, the face of world affairs and foreign relations will have been completely changed. I think this is what most people would want to see, as Tim pointed out.

Are all alliances power hungry? That could be the difference this time, or not. If the alliances are willing to allow multiple alliances to exist it could work. The problem is the hunger for power and the desire to vanquish your enemies. If that could be controlled...But I see your examples that it has not yet happened in another game nor yet here in eRep.

For now, I'll just hope that the alliances can show restraint. Because I miss strategy in this game, and a multipolar world is one of the only ways we as players can bring strategy back with admin interference.

@John Largo: The problem is that in this game, the only objective is to expand as far as possible, get 10/10 resources, and keep that empire as long as possible. Admins have simplified the game and taken away most strategy. Its not that they are truly power hungry. The fact is that, as long as other alliance members are not in need, the large nations will clash on the battlefield and expand their empires because it is the only objective in the game.

When you take away the goals to expand, and for one alliance to destroy the other and come out as the victor, then there is practically nothing else to do.

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